NOT EVEN CLOSE

 After claiming their 41^st straight district win, the Corbin Redhounds are ready to capture number 42 along with their 15^th straight district title when the Middlesboro Yellow Jackets visit Campbell Field Friday night.

The two teams set up a championship atmosphere with wins over Knott Central and Leslie County. Both enter the game with identical 2-0 records in district play. The Redhounds are 7-1 overall while Middlesboro has struggled to a 3-5 record.

However, district wins over Leslie County (28-14) and Knott Central (56-16) may have been the medicine coach Ken Roark needed for his team.

Roark’s son, Chase has returned after missing a couple of games due to a high ankle sprain. He was 7-of-10 in last week’s win over the Patriots, throwing for four touchdowns. Matt Powers was the go-to man for the Yellow Jackets last week. He had three catches for 83 yards and went to the end zone twice. Thomas Epperson had a 47-yard catch for a touchdown and Barton Poore had a TD in the end zone from Roark.

The muddy field conditions limited the Jackets running game to 33 yards.

The Yellow Jackets defense was all over the Patriots, recovering two fumbles for touchdowns.

The Redhounds prepared for the match-up with an easy win over Leslie County, 44-8.

Senior Caleb Watkins added three touchdowns to his impressive total in leading the Redhounds to the win. He has 19 rushing touchdowns on the season. Add two touchdowns from Roman Mitchell and three via the defense and he has 24 through eight games.

Watkins is the 2A leader with 146 points.

The Redhounds made it look easy against the Eagles last week, scoring on their first two possessions. It took three plays for Corbin to get on the scoreboard after a run by Ryan Fritz gave the Redhounds a first down at the Leslie County 34. Watkins ran to the 27-yard line then took it to the end zone at the 8:57 mark of the opening quarter. Saxon Okuma added the PAT for a 7-0 margin.

Corbin got the ball back after three short plays and a bad snap. The Leslie County punter never got the ball off and downed the pigskin at their own 18-yard line. Four plays later Watkins ran it in from 18 yards out. The PAT put Corbin ahead, 14-0.

The Corbin defense kept the pressure up and forced Leslie County to punt late in the quarter. The ball went over the punter’s head and out of the end zone for a safety, giving Corbin a 16-0 lead with 11:56 in the second.

The teams traded possessions before Corbin made another run into the end zone. The Redhounds took over at the Leslie County 46-yard line with 10:26 and marched the ball down the field for Watkins third score of the half. He scored on a 10-yard run with 5:50 left in the period. Roman Mitchell tried his kicking leg out and booted the extra point across for a 23-0 lead.

The Eagles didn’t have the ball long before coughing it up to the Redhounds fifty seconds later at the Leslie County 34. A Matthew Taylor pass to Vinny Hoover gave the Redhounds a first down at the 17-yard-line. Fritz bullied his way to the 13-yard marker before Hoover scored on a 13 yard run. Okuma made it 30-0 with 3:59 in the period.

Leslie County got on the scoreboard just before the half. The Eagles added the conversion and went to the dressing room trailing the ‘Hounds 30-8.

Fritz added a touchdown with 6:41 in the third quarter and Ben House scored on a 30-yard catch from Taylor as the Redhounds blew the game open. The teams let the clock run in the fourth quarter.

The winner of Friday’s game will grab the number one and will host Bath County or Morgan County in the first-round of the playoffs.

Corbin 44, Leslie Co. 8

Leslie Co.              0    8    0   0-   8

Corbin               16  14  14   0- 44

C- Caleb Watkins 27 run (Saxon Okuma kick)

C- Watkins 18 run (Okuma kick)

C- Safety

C – Watkins 9 run (Roman Mitchell kick)

C- Vin Hoover 15 run (Okuma kick)

LC- Austin Collett 35 pass from Troy Napier (Dustin Ballard pass from Napier)

C- Ryan Fritz 17 run (Okuma kick)

C- Ben House 30 pass from Mitchell (Matthew Taylor kick)